Gon Fishin'
Gon fishin a few times in the past month.  Peaceful, serene, calm, but I just can't seem to ignore all these metaphors to life that keep popping up in my head, as I've been busy NOT catching fish!  I wish they would just let me go on not catching fish, haha.  Kidding of course, I'm actually quite determined to get a big one now.  Thanks to some very kind and patient friends it has been a great chance to enjoy the summer's beautiful weather and and some stunning scenery. 

Lessons learned:

• Your first cast does not foreshadow the day's success (beware of overconfidence)
• But be confident
• Don't let how many, or how big of fish you catch determine the enjoyment of the experience (enjoy the journey)
• Successes come when you least expect them (but that's no excuse for low expectations)
• Take pictures (to help you realize how much fun you had and the great people you had it with)
• It's okay if you feel like you don't know what you're doing, with time you will
• whistle 

San Antonio

San Antonio was our post-Christmas getaway this year and it was a blast. Lots to do there: we went to the Spurs/Clippers game, did the river-walk, went to Six-Flags, and also Sea World! Sea World was incredible, I was very impressed. And let's not forget to "remember the Alamo!" What-a-history. What-a-couragious bunch of men. If you've ever wondered where Texans get there pride, read up on the history of the Alamo and it will make sense. Very neat place right down town.

One of the greatest parts of the trip was being introduced to the "most interesting man in the world" also know as, Chuck Cereau. While watching the dolphin show at Sea World we noticed the lead dolphin trainer very closely resembled the court MC for the Spurs game. Turns out IT'S THE SAME GUY!!!!!!!!! What the heck! This guy is truly the modern renaissance man. Incredibly valuable to the good city of San Antonio.

Great trip filled with family fun and great memories... of rashed-up backs from falling off roller coasters. Haha

2011... Best Year in Sports History?

AC Milan wins Serie A, Barca takes La Liga for the third year in a row, and Man U challenges Liverpool's record for their 17th (i believe it is) EPL title. On top of that, the Lakers get ousted by the Mavs in the first round of the NBA playoffs baby! Utah's own Real Salt Lake makes history by making it to the CONCACAF champions league final and dominating the MLS. And let's not forget the Jimmer Show. What a fantastic season for Cougar basketball. I couldn't ask for a better year in sports, and the best thing is; it's not even over!

Jim Rome is on Fire

For the past few months I have found myself becoming one Jim Rome's "clones," the phrase Rome uses to refer to the loyalists who listen to his radio show. The show gets done at noon and my work shift is done at 12:45, however, there are days when I get sent home early and put the radio to 1320. Wow! I laugh sooooo hard for those five minutes it takes to get back to the apartment. I had watched his TV show that used to be on ESPN and thought he was funny, but he holds nothing back on his radio show, hilarious! Jim Rome is on fire.

The Opera

Last night I attended the opera in Salt Lake City. It was Giacomo Puccini's La Boheme, who also wrote Madama Butterfly and Turandot It is playing at the Capital Theater through the 24th of this month. It was my first real opera and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was very impressed with the theater, and the performers were absolutely incredible! La Boheme is a 19th century "realistic opera" which was new in its time by showing realistic stories instead of unrealistic fantasy plots which were done up to that time. The opera is sang in Italian but they did have a little English translation monitor thing hanging from the upper deck section which I didn't even notice until half way through the first scene, haha. Anyways, there were a lot of cool things about it that I won't bore you with, but it was a lot of fun.

A New Passion/Appreciation... Music

Right now I am doing some homework while listening to Hector Berlioz's "Symphonie Phantastique" a timeless piece from the Romantic era of music and perhaps the first complete program symphony. Thanks to my Intro to Music class and really cool professor, Mark Ammons, channels such as classical symphony, romantic period opera, and romantic symphony have found their way on to my pandora radio list. Classical 89.5 FM is now my #2 radio button in my car. What I thought was going to be a dud of a class has turned out to be one of the funnest courses I've taken here at BYU. One of the reasons I enjoy the class so much is that it is almost like a European history class. Learning about all these different composers and the circumstances and times they lived in has been truly fascinating.